Flushing mechanism for water-closets.



C. H. COLVIN.

FLUSHING MECHANISM FOR WATER CLOSE TS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2. 1915.

1,218,610. Patented Mar. 6, 1917;

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Charles H [bit/in.

C. H. COLVIN.

FLUSHING MECHANISM FOR WATER C LOSETS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, I916.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

2 $HEETS-$HEET 2 onAELEs H. COLVIN, 0E CHAT'IANOOGA, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO ELIZABETH ELLIS coLvIN.

FLUSHING MECHANISM FOR WATER-CLOSETS.

Application filed May 2, 1916.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. Com/1N, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flushing Mechanisms for Water-Closets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flushing; apparatus in which a seat controlled valve mechanism is employed in connection with an a1r tight water reservoir to automatically flush water closet bowls and the like.

One object of my invention is to adapt the several parts of the valve mechanism which are subject to wear and require replacement to be removed bodily from the piping system without disconnecting the latter or making it necessary to shut off the water supply. The latter feature of my invention is ob tained by the provision of an auxiliary throttling valve in the water supply pipe below the seat controlled valves, which throttling valve will be automatically seated when the seat controlled valve mechanism is in flushing position or is withdrawn, and will permit a negligible flow of water past its seat for the purposes hereinafter explained. In making the seat controlled valve mechanism readily removable, the several valves are mounted in alinement on a stem which is preferably sectional and which is endwise removable upwardly from the piping system.

Another feature of my invention resides in the means for governing the opening movement of the Valve controlling the flow of flushing water from the reservoir to the bowl, my object being to make the flow of water to the bowl substantially uniform during the opening movements of the valve so that any tendency to splash out of or over the bowl is avoided. To this end I adapt the flushing valve to open only partially responsive to the seat control and to complete its opening movement responsive to the action of the gradually accumulating water pressure, which leaks past the auxiliary throttling valve, against a piston which assumes a pressure tight fit in the piping system when the valve has partially opened.

Another feature of my invention consists in providing means for graduating the flow of water as it enters from the supply pipe so that the operation of the valves of the Specification of Letters Patent.

vmechanism is noiseless,

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

Serial No. 94,995.

thereby insuring a gentle closing without hammer or jamming.

My invention further comprises the novel features of construction and arrangements of parts which are hereinafter more particularly described and claimed, and which in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete flushing mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through one form of water closet flushing mechanism constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 3 is a partial view similar to Fig. 2 showing the auxiliary valve in closed position.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on the line l4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of valve stem; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In describing the preferred embodiment of my invention, the flushing apparatus comprises a vertical pipe consisting of sections 1, 2, 3 and 4;, respectively. The top section 1 is provided with two substantially horizontal outlets 5 and 6 disposed in opposite directions butat different levels. The former 5 connects with a water closet bowl 7 whereas the latter 6 connects with an air-tight reservoir 8, partially shown in Fig. 1.

At the lowest point of the bottom section 4 of the vertical pipe a water supply pipe 9 is tapped in, said water supply pipe leading from a service main not shown. Immediately above the upper end of the section 4: and leading out from section 3 is a drain outlet 10; On the inside of section 4 is located a valve seat 11 provided with an aperture '12 through which anauxiliary valve stem 13 extends. Said valve stem is threaded at its lower end 13 which carries a nut 14 and serves as the auxiliary valve. Neither the auxiliary valve, nut 14 nor its seat 11 areground to make a tight joint, as it is in tended that there shall be a slight flow of water past this valve when seated as indithe auxiliary cated by arrows, Fig. 3, for the purposes said valve stem is provided with a head 15 shaped as shown in Fig. 6, that is to say, provided with four corners 16 which center it and prevent the head from entering the section 3035 pipe next above, and yet permit the incoming water to pass by the same.

The stem is provided above the auxiliary valve 13 with grooves 17 as best shown in Fig. 5 which, as the stem reciprocates, graduate the flow of water permitting first a minimum flow gradually increasing to maximum, and in closing gradually cutting on the flow until the flow is reduced to the leakage past valve 13*. Confined between the head of the stem and the seat 11 is a spring 18 which tends to seat the auxiliary valve and to maintain the same in a seated position so that it will substantially cut ofi the supply of the service main and permit repairs to the apparatus above it in the piping system.

In the top section 1 above and in line with the bore of the sections 2, 3 and 4t, is a top opening which is normally closed by a cap 18 ield in place by any easily detachable means and provided with a stufling box 19 through which the valve stem 20 extends. The first section of the valve stem is threaded as shown at 21 and carries the disk 22 against which the valve 23 bears. The valve 23 comes to a seat on the shoulder 24, thus cutting off the flow from reservoir 8 to the bowl 7. The valve stem 20 continues downwardly as shown at 25 and the head of section 25 connects with another section 26 which also connects with a third section 27, suitable socket joints, such as 28, forming the connection and being fixed by pins 29. The bottom section 27 carries the member 30 which works in pipe section 3 and has holes 31 which permit the water to pass. Said member 30 is provided with a peripheral groove which accommodates a split packing ring 32 that will expand and form a tight joint with the bore of pipe section 3.

The end of section 27 of the valve stem 20 is provided with the disk 34 and the threaded tip 35. A cup 36 rests against disk 3 1 and is retained in place by a nut 37, thus forming a piston valve which works within the lower end of pipe section 3 and within the upper end of pipe section 4, which is enlarged to provide a chamber 38 sufficiently large to permit the water to bypass the piston when the latter is in the position shown in Fig. 2.

The upper section 1 of the vertical pipe is provided with a bracket 39 which has pivotally fulcrumed thereon at a0 a lever ll, the forward end of which carries the'seat portion 4:2, whereas the rear end carries the counter-balancing weight 43. The upper end of the valve stem 20 is provided with a threaded length it onto which is screwed a cap 15 secured in place by a suitable set screw L6. It will be noted that the head 15 at the top oi the auxiliary valve stem 13 forms the upper seat for the spring 18 and is adapted to be engaged and depressed bythe valve stem section 35 when the latter is in its lowered position, as shown in full lines Fig. 2. The main valve stem however is not connected to the auxiliary valve stem and thus the spring 18, which urges the latter upwardly, can exert an influence through the sectional stem to open valve 24 only partially or to its dotted line position, Fig. 2, as the seat 11 will engage the nut 14: and limit the stroke of the spring. When the valve 23 is in approximately half open position the piston 36 will have moved out of the chamber 38 and assumed substantially fluid tight position in the lower end of the pipe section 3.

In operation, assuming the reservoir 8 emptied by the previous flushing and the seat elevated, as shown in Fig. 1, upon the depression of the-seat it will engage the valve stem and move it downwardly, with the following results. lhe valve 23 will seat tight against its seat 2% and shut off communication between the bowl and the piping system; the piston valve 36 will be forced out 01" its seat in the lower end of the pipe section 3 andinto the chamber 38; and stem 35 in thus moving will engage the stem 13 and open the auxiliary valve 13 As a result the water from the supply mains will pass up, flowing with increasing volume as stem 13 is lowered, through the piping system into the reservoir, which was left empty after the previous flushing operation. Upon release of the seat 42 its counterbalance weight will raise it and relieve the valve stem 20 of pressure, whereupon the following operations take eilect in the valve mechanism, namely; the valve 23 will open responsive to the water pressure below it in the piping system and to the thrust 01": the spring 18, but this initial opening movement is only partial, due to the fact that the engagement of the valve 1 1 with its seat 11 brings about a definite limit to the action of the spring, which limit takes place approximately cotemporaneously with the entrance of the piston valve 36 with fluid tight fit into its cylindrical seat at the lower end of the pipe section 3 and with the arrival of the valve 23 at its half open or dotted line position, Fig. 2. It will be at once apparent that when the piston valve 36 enters the pipe 3, the valve 23 becomes substantially balanced and will stand in this position until the gradual leakage of water past the auxiliary valve 13 and through the grooves 17 in its stem 13 will establish the water main pressure in the chamber 38 below the piston 36, thus unbalancing the valve parts and toreing the plunger upwardly to raise valve 23 gradually to its full open position. By this means the initial opening of the bowl supply valve is small, avoiding the heavy rush of water and the heavy splashing and after the high pressure in the tank has been largely reduced the valve will automatically open fully and permit the tank to discharge itself, the resultant action of the valve 23 being such that what may be termed a fairly uniform volume of water is delivered to the bowl.

It 'will be observed that the piston valve 36, when in its dotted line position Fig. 2, will positively shut off the flow of water, and when in this position the valve 32 will have moved above and cleared drain port 10 so that the piping system above valve 36 will be drained. It will be obvious that the arrangement of the pipes and valve stems in section is for convenience in assembling and that such an arrangement may be departed from within the scope of my invention.

The valve end 13 of this auxiliary valve stem 13 does not make a water tight fit in the opening in seat 11 but, like valve 14, permits a restricted flow ofwater which is calcu lated to raise the water pressure in chamber 38 sufliciently to start the final movement of the piston valve 36 and govern the complete opening movement of the flushing valve 23 within a predetermined time interval.

The particular downwardly tapering shape of the grooves 17 in the auxiliary valve stem, as shown. in Fig. 5, is essential in producing the graduated increase or decrease of the water flow which will make noiseless the operation of the valve. The grooves 17 not only taper downwardly in width but also increase in shallowness toward their lower end which features co-act to cause the grooves to effect a graduated increase or decrease of the water flow to accomplish the ends above stated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

-1. A flushing mechanism comprising in combination, a bowl, a movable seat therefor, a reservoir, a water supply pipe, a valving means comprising a valve controlling the flow of water from the supply pipe to the reservoir, and a flushing valve controlling the flow of water from said reservoir to said bowl, seat controlled means adapted to partway open the fiushing valve which is adapted to be completely opened by the water supply pressure, and automatic means acting on the water supply valve to retard the final opening movement of said flushing valve.

2. In a flushing mechanism, a bowl, a movable seat, a reservoir, a water supply pipe having upper and lower valving chambers, a valve stem having thereon a flushing valve in the upper chamber controlling the flow of water from said reservoir to said bowl and a piston valve in said lower chamber ply pipe, a valve stem having a supply valve controlling the flow of water to said reservoir from said supply pipe, and a flushing valve controlling the flow of water from said reservoir to said bowl, and means unattached to but controlled by said valve stem for graduating the flow of water through said supply pipe to said supply valve as the valve stem is actuated to insure noiseless operation.

4c. In a flushing mechanism, in combination with a bowl and reservoir, a water supply pipe having connectionsto both bowl and reservoir, a valve stem having a supply valve controlling the flow of water from the supply pipe to said reservoir, and a flushing valve controlling the flow of water from said reservoir to said bowl, a throttling means in said supply pipe in advance of said supply valve and comprising a seat and a valve, adapted to assume a throttling position in said seat responsive to the water pressure and having grooves which taper acutely in-the direction of its opening move- 'ment relatively to said seat and which are adapted to graduate the flow through said supply pipe to said valves for the purposes described, said grooved valve being controlled in its movements by said first mentioned valve stem.

5. In a flushing mechanism, in combination with a bowl and a reservoir, a water supply pipe having connections to the bowl and reservoir, a valve stem having a flushing valve'controlling the flow of water from said reservoir to said bowl and a piston valve to cut off the flow of water from said supply pipe to said reservoir at an intermediate point in its closing travel, and means to control the action on said piston valve of the water supply pressure which is adapted to complete its closing movement and to govern the full opening movement of the flushing valve, as and for the purposes described. V

6. In a flushing mechanism,- the combination with a bowl and a reservoir, of a water supply pipe, a valve stem carrying a downwardly closing flushing valve for con i trolling the flow of water from said reservoir to said bowl, and an upwardly closing piston valve to cut off the flow of water from tion with a bowl, a reservoir and a water supply pipe, of a valve stem having a flushing valve for controlling the flow of water from the reservoir to the bowl, a piston valve for controlling the flow of water from the supply pipe to the reservoir, spring means adapted to act on said valve stem when the supply valve is seated to positively start the opening movement of said flushing valve, means to limit the action of the spring to relieve the flushing valve ofits influence when the latter is partway open, and means to utilize the water supply pressure to complete and control the further opening movement of the flushing valve.

8. In a flushing mechanism, the combination with a bowl, a reservoir and a water supply pipe, of a valve stem having a flushing valve which seats against the water pressure and controls the iiow of water from said reservoir to said bowl, and a piston valve which seats with the water pressure and controls the flow of water from said supply pipe to said reservoir, said piston valve having an elongated seat against which it closes when the flushing valve is partway open, a spring adapted to act on said valve stem to close the piston valve, a stop for the spring which limits its action on the stem to a point where the piston valve is closed and the flushing valve is part open, and an auxiliary valve means adapted. to be opened by said valve stem and to seat automatically, said auxiliary valve, when seated, permitting a restricted flow of water past it to act on the piston valve to move it to complete the opening movement of said flushing valve, substantially as described.

9. In a flushing mechanism, a bowl, a reservoir, a water supply pipe, connections from one end thereof to the water mains and from the other end of said reservoir and bowl, a valve stem in said supply pipe end wise removable therefrom, a flushing valve and a piston valve on said stem, said valves being removable with the stem bodily from said supply pipe without disconnecting the middle of its closing travel, an auxiliary valve, a seat therefor in advance of the piston valve seat, a spring tending to move said auxiliary valve toward the piston valve to seat it, and said auxiliary valve engaging its seat when the valve stem has been moved by its spring to partway open the flushing valve and to close the piston valve, said auxiliary valve having means to permit a graduated flow of water past it as it opens and being adapted to permit a restricted flow 01 water past it and into the supply pipe when seated,

10. In combination with a reservoir, a bowl, and a depressible seat for the bowl, of mechanism for controlling the flushing of said bowl comprising a water supply pipe, a valve stem in said pipe and project ing therefrom in position to be depressed by said seat, a flushing valve on the upper end of said stem adapted to be seated when the stem is depressed to shut off communication between the reservoir and bowl, a piston valve on the lower end oi said stem for con trolling the supply of water to said reservoir, said piston valve having a seat which it engages at an intermediate point of its closing movement and when the flushing valve is partway open, spring means to partway open the flushing valve with a positive movement, and self closing valving means operable by but disconnected from said valve stem for regulating the access of the supply water pressure to .the piston valve to govern by the action of such water pressure on said piston valve the completion of the opening movement of the flushing valve.

11. In a flushing mechanism, the combination with a bowl, a reservoir, a supply pipe including connections to both bowl and reservoir, a valve stem having a flushing valve controlling the flow of water from the reservoir to the bowl, a piston valve controlling the flow of water from the sup ply pipe to the reservoir, and an auxiliary valving means normally seated and disposed to be unseated by said stem when the flushing valve is seated, said auxiliary valve being adapted to permit a graduated leakage of water past it into the supply pipe below the piston valve, and tapering by-passes on said auxiliary valve to gradually restrict or enlarge the flow of water past it noiselessly as the first mentioned valves are operated, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I atliX my signature.

CHARLES H. ooLvm.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 33.0. 

